When a New Yorker was hiking in Europe, his Swiss friend kept saying “Listen to that!” but he didn't hear anything. His ears were accustomed to loud city noises and it was days before he was able to notice the sound of a bird. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. There is background music in restaurants, bars, stores, rest rooms, elevators, and when you are waiting on the telephone. Russell Baker blames “society's determination to entertain you whether you like it or not”.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, but in practice they avoid it. They drive with the car radio turned up, switch on the television when they get home, and exercise while listening to music on headphones. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} They can buy things in stores, but they do not have enough human contact. So they fill their lives with sound.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Young men play their car stereos loudly in order to create a personal environment around them. Like animals, they are marking a territory to warn rivals away and to attract a mate.

    It may also be true that the brain itself wants excitement just as the stomach insists on food. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} This seems extreme. Perhaps we would be better off if we sought periods of silence to provide balance.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} . One of the best things you can possibly do is to start you own club. It's great fun especially if you are the sort of person who feels there's never anything to do during the school holidays.

    The first thing you need to come up with is an idea for your club. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Pets, clothes, pop music or dancing groups, sports, making things? The list is endless.

    Next you need some friends to be in your club with you. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. All you need is three or four other people who are interested in the same thing as you.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} .You should all sit down somewhere together with lots of pieces of paper and write down every name you can think up. That'll keep you busy for ages.

    At your first meeting you should make up a rule book. And the first rule should be no grown-ups or little/big brothers or sisters! The best clubs are always secret!

    Now you have just about everything you need, except membership cards. These are very important and again you can speed a lot of time making them. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} . Why not leave some space for a photo of yourself? That will make the membership card really look like it.

    So there you are, get clubbing! Once you get started you'll think of loads of more interesting things to do!

A. That's easy.

B. Enjoy your own club!

C. Invite a designer to join you.

D .What are you interest in?

E. Some vacation is just around the corner.(即将来临)

F. Then you need to pick a name for your club.

G. Use a bright thick pen to make a special design.

iPads vs. Textbooks

    What if you could have your whole backpack at the touch of your fingertips? In the first month of the Apple iPads release, 25million were sold! People all over the world use iPads for all sorts of different things, but one of their finest qualities is the ability to be a textbook. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    To begin with, iPad are less expensive. Textbooks become outdated and schools have to buy new books, but with an iPad schools can update them for free. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Schools don't have to spend $500 every year for iPads because they last a while and can be updated.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Students usually have multiple classes, which results in multiple textbooks. Heavy backpacks filled with books can cause back problem. A solution to that is an iPad, which only weighs 1.33 pounds and can hold all of a student's textbooks.

    Third, schools should get rid of their textbooks and get iPads because they have more capabilities. Some might think all of the apps are distracting, but the apps actually make iPads more efficient. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Textbooks cannot do those tasks, but iPads can easily do them with just a tap of the fingertip.

    Lastly, iPads are a better choice for schools instead of textbooks because these devices allow students to access their learning anywhere at any time. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} With iPads, they find it easier to get their homework done.

    In conclusion, schools should get rid of their clumsy textbooks and switch to iPads. iPads have allowed this generation to have their entire backpack in the palm of their hands.

These tablets are perfect for busy students.

B. Second, iPads cost less and are more popular.

C. Therefore, they can use the saved money for other programs.

D. iPads have already replaced textbooks in over 600 American counties.

E. Moreover, in high school, textbooks have an average of 4.8 pounds each.

F. Schools have every reason to do away with their school books and switch to iPads.

G. iPads absorb the need to buy calculators, dictionaries, and other items that are found within the device.

    Many parents would like to teach their children English at home, but don't know how to start. It doesn't matter if your own English is not perfect. The most important thing is that you give your children lots of encouragement and praise.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} They will need some time to learn the language.

Make it a rule

    Try to do certain activities at the same time every day.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} For example, you could read an English story with your children before bedtime. Repetition (重复) is important — children often need to hear words many times before they say them themselves.

Playing games

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Cards are a great way to teach words and there are many different games which you can play with cards, such as Memory and Happy Families.

Using everyday situations

    The advantage of teaching English at home is that you can use everyday situations to practice the language naturally. For example:

    Talk about clothes when your child is getting dressed (＂Let's put on your blue socks＂, etc.).

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}When you go to the supermarket, give your child a list of things to find.

    Using songs

    Songs are a really good way to learn new words. Songs with actions are especially good for very young children because they are able to join in.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Fifteen minutes is enough for very young children.

B. Children learn naturally when they are having fun.

C. Teach food words when you are cooking or going shopping.

D. The actions often show the meaning of the words in the song.

E. With younger children, there is no need to teach grammar rules.

F. Don't worry if your child doesn't start speaking English immediately.

G. Children feel more comfortable and confident when they know what to expect.

The beginnings of the Globe Theatre

    The Globe Theatre is one of the most well-known theatres in the world. In 1996, it was voted for the “best attraction in Europe”. However, this version of the Globe, completed in the mid-1990s with funds from the Shakespeare Globe Playhouse Trust, is not the original Globe built in the 1500s.

    During the 16th century, plays were popular entertainment among all kinds of people from wealthy nobles to the working class.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Actors performed in small hotels throughout the countryside and in London. James Burbage, an actor and painter, build the first public playhouse in England called The Theatre because it was the first ever built in London. Now the audience could come to the actors rather than the other way around,{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    When Burbage died, his sons Cuthbert and Richard, took over The Theatre. The Land, however, on which the playhouse was built was not owned by Burbage.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} The actors decided they would build their own theatre. They rented land near another theatre, The Rose, and used wood from The Theatre to build the first Globe Theatre. It was here that Shakespeare's famous plays were performed{#blank#}4{#/blank#} The actors' love for the Globe was so strong that when it burned down in 1613, they pooled their own money to rebuilt it, making it even better than before with beautiful decorations and details adorning(装饰) the stage{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. The Theatre was a huge success.

B. This theatre could hold several thousand people!

C. Queen Elizabeth I of England had a great love for plays.

D. When one enters the Globe Theatre ，one is in the greatest theater.

E. A man named Giles Allen owned the land and didn't want to rent the land to them.

F. Success was immediate and the Globe Theatre was a favorite of audiences and actors alike.

G. Even though this version of the Globe Theatre didn't survive through the century, its influence lives on.

    Rise and shine all day

    Making these easy tasks part of your morning schedule will improve your nutrition, energy, and mood today—and beyond.

    Stretch in bed

    Try this even before you open your eyes. Lift one arm and begin by stretching each finger, then your hand, then your wrist, and then your whole arm.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Then stretch your toes, feet, ankles, and legs. Finally, end with a neck and back stretch that pushes you out of bed. This "power pose" makes you feel more confident all day long.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    Working out before you eat encourages your body to burn more fat for energy rather than relying on carbohydrates（碳水化合物）from food. In a study, participants who exercised after breakfast still gained weight, but those who exercised on an empty stomach did not.

    Turn on the music

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. If anyone plays an instrument, and if you have a little time, morning is the perfect time to practice, as it prepares your brain for learning. One study found that both playing and listening to music help improve academic performance in 16 different ways, including increasing focus and memory.

    Enjoy some fun

    Many people fear to face a new day of work, school, or chores.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. This can be having a cup of coffee as you read your favorite blog, etc. Choose activities you enjoy and that set you on a good path for the day

    You've improved your state of mind, your health, and your productivity—all before the weekday has even begun.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Pick something energetic that you and others in the house enjoy and put it on while you get ready

B. Now you're ready to conquer your to-do list for today and every day

C. Do regular exercise in the morning

D. Move on to the other arm

E. Exercise a bit—On an empty stomach

F. Take up the entire length of the bed when you stretch

G. But if the first thing you do is pleasant, you'll find it much easier to get going